The European Commission proposed the European Transparency Initiative in a Green Paper in 2006 followed by a Communication in 2007. The Council endorsed the initiative by Articles 30(3) and 53b §2 d) of the Financial Regulation, which require Member States to provide information on how EU funds under shared management are spent, in particular through the expost publication of beneficiaries. As regards the publication of beneficiaries of the Structural Funds and the Cohesion Fund (hereinafter the Funds), this obligation is further specified by the Commission Regulation (EC) No 1828/2006. The purpose of this note is to provide guidance to Member States, on the practical implications of implementing the transparency initiative for the Structural Funds, the Cohesion Fund and the Fisheries Fund.
